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I’m not one to complain about travel conditions - as long as I get where I am going in one piece and I’m not paying a huge price for bad services, I’m ok. But that doesn’t exclude being comfortable, it just means I have to plan ahead a bit.
I don’t know if I am getting old or not (most likely it’s bad posture), but my back has started to ache when I sit down for a long time. It’s making itself felt even now… and only thinking of the Shiatsu to Go makes me feel a bit better.
Putting aside the ancient Eastern massage techniques, it’s a massage pillow you can use for your back, neck, feet or any other body part in pain. Which means it’s not only useful for travelling, but also for daily life. If you sit at the computer all day and the boss isn’t paying for a good chair… you get my drift. Ow.
How much under $29.99?
A little: $24.85 on Magellans.com.
Via http://feeds.feedburner.com/StoriesofWoW“>name
This is by no means a new idea (I have a bread basket like this), but it’s smart enough to warrant a mention.
The Travel Tray is extremely simple to use and can be indispensable for the messy people among us. It’s probably more useful for travel, but I could use it perfectly well around the house - for example to store my 4 or 5 sets of keys (don’t ask), which I can never find.
It’s extremely convenient as opposed to other storage trays because it’s flat, so it takes up virtually no room in your bags, and when assembled you get a 8 x 5 x 2″ deep basket, with a separate compartment for your glasses.
How much under $29.99?
A lot: $8.85 on Magellans.com.
Via bookofjoe
After you spend your first night trying to sleep on a bus, you’re never going to leave your neck rest home if preparing for a long trip. It might look silly, but it makes travel so much easier.
But, hm, a scented pillow? I don’t think so. The Aroma Snoozer adds scented oil in the mix… which in itself isn’t a bad idea - if you’re traveling alone. But if I ever found someone on a bus or train or plane with one of these, I’d probably shove it down his/her throat. If I have to smell something, I want to choose it myself, not get flooded with some lady’s favorite scent. You need to think about the people around you, too. This is a no-no.
How much under $29.99?
Some: ~$19.5 on Gizoo.co.uk.
Via Coolest Gadgets
I’ve never had to make a long plane journey, but I think that getting on a low-cost flight after 1 hour of sleep that night is one of the worst flying experiences I could hope to experience (barring turbulence and the like). All you want is to finally get rest… and you discover that the seat wasn’t exactly made for that.
I’ve used a standard neck rest pretty extensively, but until you manage to prop it in the right position it’s difficult to sleep on. The Jetsleeper 2 looks a bit sillier, but seems to work better - if you’re short enough. It supports the neck and you can probably sleep soundly because your head has something to rest on.
But… if you’re tall then your head will reach over the head rest, making this virtually impossible to use - especially if you’re in economy, with no leg room and therefore no possibility to lower yourself in the seat.
How much under $29.99?
Some: $21.00 from Jetsleeper.
Via bookofjoe
One of the issues travelers (all right, mostly woman travelers) face when coming back from a trip is the age-old question: “How the hell am I going to carry all these souvenirs home?!”
Been there, done that, been told that putting an extra bag inside a bag is silly. Uh, no it’s not, it’s thinking ahead. The Rolling InstaBag is something that can come in very handy at the end of a trip.. It’s compact when folded, so it won’t get in the way when packing, and it can unfold to an impressive size which I’d say is large enough unless you’re not a complete shopping whore. Best of all, it can still fit in the overheard compartment in a plane.
It’s probably less useful for groceries; my previous experience with this kind of bag with folding wheels was less than happy, especially when filled with heavy items. It should only be used for travel, since the trip from the bus to the plane shouldn’t be too taxing.
How much under $29.99?
Some: $11 on Amazon.com.
Via bookofjoe
Even if you’re not a big fan of carrying an umbrella around, sometimes it’s necessary - unless you like being soaked to the bone by cold rain. And since rain clouds mean darkness, some light can come in very handy.
This is probably what the manufacturers of the Light ‘N Go Umbrella thought of when they combined a regular umbrella with a flashlight. Personally, I’ve never seen it get so dark because of the rain, but for some reason I still can’t explain… I like this. Maybe because I never have a flashlight when I need one…
Not a particularly useful gadget, but it has two things going for it:
1. Good for travel, saves space, both umbrella and flashlight are recommended when traveling.
2. It’s a convergence item without USB. Phew.
How much under $29.99?
A little: $25.00 on Totes-Isotoner.com.
Via ChipChick
Travel alone, travel with friends or family; stay in hotel, in hostels, in people’s homes. Any combination of these usually has the same result: not enough outlets. My least favorite experience was traveling for 2 weeks with my mother and brother and ending up in hotel rooms with 2 outlets (for our 2 mp3 players, 3 mobile phones, one photo camera and one video camera).
The Kensington Portable Power Outlet makes life much easier. It offers no less than three outlets and two USB ports, which I say should be enough unless you’re a real gadget freak (in which case just get two of these). The portable outlet also comes with a surge protector with a status LED to make sure your toys don’t get broken and the cable can be tucked away easily.
It’s not the first device to offer USB ports in addition to normal outlets, so I won’t try to pass it off as a great innovation, but I still think it’s a damn good idea. The more gadgets like this, the merrier.
How much under $29.99?
A little: $24.99 on Kensington.com.
Via OhGizmo!
I might be a bit paranoid, but most of the time I’m traveling in a foreign country I am afraid I’m going to be left without my ID or my money. It’s not only fear of thieves - I’m also very distracted. I’m perfectly capable of leaving my passport sitting on a counter or letting my wallet fall out of my bag. If I’m around home, losing these would just mean some hassle, but in a foreign country the potential for problems is higher.
I don’t know how comfortable the Passport Security Socks are, but they look very safe. It would be almost impossible for a thief to get under your pants leg and into the zippered pocket and steal your things, and they can’t slide out. Obviously, they can only be used as a means to carry your valuables around, not as wallets. Although it would be fun to see a customer start poking around his socks at the supermarket…
How much under $29.99?
Some: $16.99 on ProblemSolvers.com.
Via FashionablyGeek
Security is important, but there’s also too much security. How many times have you forgotten your impossible-to-crack password? I’d rather stick with something less safe, but still be able to read my mail.
The same applies for luggage locks. A thief is unlikely to guess your 4-digit combination, but are you sure you will remember it? I think no one can dispute the fact that words are much easier to remember than numbers, so the Wordlock 4 Dial TSA Luggage Lock seems like a great idea long overdue. All you have to do is set a four-letter word (of course, make it an unusual one!) and you’re set.
How much under $29.99?
A lot: $9.99 on Amazon.com.
Via TechieDiva
One of the most frustrating experiences is having to wrestle more bags than I can easily carry. I don’t like to feel trapped, I want to move freely. I can imagine that a baby makes things twice as complicated.
But that’s life… you can just pack lighter. Or you can go for the creepy Tote-a-Tot. This device is basically a system of straps to connect a rolling carry-on to a baby’s car seat and it seems very unsafe to me. I get stressed out when I can’t see my cat, how could a woman leave her baby out of sight? You would be dragging your baby behind you, so someone could kidnap him/her and you might not notice. Or, to go into more mundane aspects, what happens when they drop their pacifier or toys? It’s bound to happen.
I’d like to hear some opinion from mums, I just can’t see this as a good idea.
How much under $29.99?
Exactly $29.95 on ToteaTot.com.
Via OhGizmo!
